Meet the cohort
Our second cohort for the ScreenSkills and Media Career Advice Production Assistant Training Programme for Unscripted TV has now been confirmed. We’ve got a really eclectic mix of trainees from all across the UK with very varied work backgrounds with the majority of trainees transferring from a different industry or a different area of the TV & film industry. They have begun their training which covers everything they need to know in order to undertake the Production Assistant role in Unscripted TV. Following on from their training they will be matched with an industry mentor to begin their 6 hrs worth of mentoring. They will also be starting their 3 month paid placement in a production company in their region. Take a look below to learn more about our first cohort.
Find out more about the programme here.
This programme is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from BBC, Channel 4, Sky, A+E Networks UK, Discovery UK, Channel 5, Netflix, ITV, Amazon, UKTV and S4C matched by production companies.
Julia Reid trained in Theatre Stage Management at The Royal School of Speech & Drama and has had an extensive career working in Theatre Stage Management. She recently made the transition from Theatre into Film and Television and recently worked for Netflix on Bridgerton Series 3.
“The production assistant training will give me a firm foundation in what happens within unscripted production departments. This will enable me to use my transferable skills to the best of my abilities and discover new ones. The knowledge gained and placement offered will allow me to make the transition fully into a TV production role”
Julia will be undertaking her placement in London.
Zarina Jackson - “I’m and very excited to be on this training Programme. I’ve held previous positions in Film and TV distribution working for various broadcasters and film studios including BBC, ITV, NBC Universal Miramax and Studiocanal working in production has always been a dream of mine. I am passionate about unscripted content news, documentary music and sport in particular. In my spare time I enjoy museums swimming, pilates and skiing and I look forward to putting names to lovely faces when we meet in person.”
Zarina will be undertaking her placement in London.
Peter Bennington - After graduating from the University of Dundee in 2016 with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Applied Computing, Peter returned home to Northern Ireland where he began a successful career as a software developer working in Belfast. After working for the last 7+ years in software, Peter knew his future career aspirations lay elsewhere on a different path, so in 2024 he decided to apply for trainee positions and apprenticeships within film and TV production, ultimately securing a place on this programme by Media Career Advice and ScreenSkills.
"I am curious and excited to begin my training as a production assistant in unscripted TV. I applied for this programme as I know it will give me great knowledge and experience for my new career, especially as a new entrant to the screen industry. I can't wait to meet my fellow trainees, Hannah and her amazing team, and start making great TV shows."
Peter will be undertaking his placement in Belfast.
Sally-Ann Hammond - Previously Sally has been a secretary in corporate banking before working for over nine years as a personal assistant to an artist, who often appeared on the television and in the media. This helped her to develop a wide range of skills such as multi-tasking, the ability to work efficiently under pressure, and the art of communicating effectively. Armed with these organisational skills, Sally decided on a complete career change and has been a runner/assistant, recently helping to make documentaries for an independent production company.
“This course is an amazing opportunity for me to gain the skills needed to progress in the world of unscripted TV. The production knowledge, networking and mentorship will be invaluable tools for me to immerse myself into my new career path.”
Sally-Ann will be undertaking her placement in Brighton.
Tavia Davies - Tavia has previously worked in marketing, copywriting, and operations across magazines, estate agencies, charities, galleries, and sales. Her most recent role was working as an Operations Director in a new business consultancy, where she built a deep understanding of what makes a business tick behind-the-scenes. During an extended career break, Tavia realised she loved the behind-the-scenes qualities of her role, but wanted to make it more literal. It was here she recognised how much of an impact unscripted TV has made on her throughout her life, and knew that a production management career within this industry was where she had to be.
"I'm so excited and grateful to have been chosen for this programme as it has been incredibly challenging breaking into unscripted TV, especially during such a hard period for the screen industries. This programme will provide me with such invaluable skills, industry knowledge, and the start of my very own little black book that I can't wait to make use of."
Tavia will be undertaking her placement in Brighton.
Maisie Honey has most recently been working at RDF West as the Office Co-ordinator and Executive Assistant to the Managing Director and Director of Productions. She also began her career in the industry with RDF, starting out as an Office Runner as well as working as a Production and Location Runner across shows such as Million Pound Motorhomes and Dickinson’s Real Deal. Maisie’s aspiration is to progress her career within Production Management, and she is looking forward to developing her skills and knowledge through the course and placement.
‘I’m incredibly excited at the opportunity to learn more from fantastic industry professionals and have the chance to take the next step in my career. I’m looking forward to learning new skills, challenging myself, and getting stuck into the training and the placement.’
Maisie will be undertaking her placement in Bristol.
Elise Stapleton - Whilst in school, Elise first discovered her excitement for the television industry whilst undertaking a work experience placement with FremantleMedia. Since then, she has graduated with a degree in BA Communications and Media and is now enthusiastic to get her foot into the door of the television industry. With previous experience in other areas, including customer service and corporate communications, she is now keen to build upon her skills within the production office.
“I’ve always had a love for TV, and the idea of building a career within an industry where I am genuinely passionate about the projects I am contributing to is really important to me! The TV industry can feel quite difficult to navigate at the start of your career, especially when you don’t have those existing connections and so, when I came across the Production Assistant Training Programme it looked like a great opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience whilst learning from industry professionals.”
Elise will be undertaking her placement in London.
Jamie Prescott has worked in multiple charities across Scotland coordinating, developing, and designing community-based projects. In doing so he developed a passion for transformative practices that seek to build community cohesion while challenging social crises across the city. Recently at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, Jamie has worked to increase accessibility and diversity, coordinating their long-standing community theatre group, Community Collective. Studying Communication Design at university, Jamie has maintained a creative practice alongside his work, which has been key in growing a passion for documentary and other unscripted formats.
Working predominantly in the third sector building organisational and communication skills, Jamie is looking forward to transferring his learning into Unscripted TV. On the ScreenSkills & Media Career Advice Production Assistant scheme he is excited to build a better understanding of the production assistant role and build towards a career of managing social or politically creative productions.
Jamie will be undertaking his placement in Glasgow.
Matthew Edwards - After graduating with a degree in Engineering, Matt joined the Civil Service where he coordinated and appraised government-sponsored events and tradeshows. Matt hopes to leverage his experience in problem-solving, logistics, and project coordination to make a meaningful impact in television production.
“Television production offers a dynamic and creative work environment, presenting a wide range of challenges and responsibilities at each stage of production. This programme is an amazing opportunity to kickstart my career in television production. I’m looking forward to absorbing knowledge from some real industry experts, which will allow me to hit the ground running in my first role.”
Matthew will be undertaking his placement in London.
Isabel Warren - Since completing her A-levels, Izzie has been working full time with a number of organisations, with her spare time spent baking or at concerts across London. These roles ranged from administration, to teaching, to being a magical elf in the UK's top Christmas experience. Alongside this, she has been undertaking placements in a range of production companies to gain wider experience in the industry and understand the roles available. Through this, she found Production Management to be a great fit for her personality and skills and is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to a production through the ScreenSkills and Media Career Advice training programme.
”I’m excited to learn about the production office in a hands-on environment, and feels that the support and advice provided by the scheme will really help me to grow. I hope that by the end I will have worked on a production she is proud of and can't wait to share with friends and family.”
Isabel will be undertaking her placement in London.
Deshawn Hillman currently works at The Garden Productions as the Office & IT Assistant. His role is to oversee the IT equipment in the office and provide general office support. Deshawn began his career as a runner, working for several production companies after studying Film & TV in College. His aspiration is to build on his creative flair, knowledge and experience to work in production management in Unscripted programmes.
“I feel like this course will be my opportunity to put my foot through the door and guide me along the way to my main goal.I’m mostly excited to meet new people with the same motivation as me and to learn from professionals who have been in the industry for countless years.”
Deshawn will be undertaking his placement in-house at The Garden Productions in London.
Carys Jones - Carys has worked across theatre, events and television as a Scenic Artist for ten years. During that time she has worked on large scale productions for the National Theatre and Glyndebourne, iconic staging for Glastonbury Festival and award winning scripted TV shows such as The Great, Gangs of London and The Outlaws. Whilst she has found her career highly rewarding to date, the areas she has most enjoyed span the day to day organisation and creative problem solving that make a career hop to a role as production assistant for factual TV a natural choice.
“I have always had a passion for unscripted TV, and this is the perfect foot in the door to an industry and a role that I'm desperate to break into. Having the support of a mentor is invaluable and the three month internship is key to the on the job experience that I need, giving essential access to industry contacts and learning the day to day requirements of the production assistant role.”
Carys will be undertaking her placement in Bristol.
Vivek Krishna Dutt embarked on his media journey in the technical department and developed excellent cinematography and editing skills during his media degree, expanding his creative visual horizons. Transitioning to a different department within media, Vivek started working as a communication associate after completing his degree. In 2021, he then undertook the role of a post-producer at Media Monks, where he proficiently managed post-production projects. During this role, Vivek discovered his strong passion for production management, having an epiphany that his technical knowledge of video production gave him the skills to manage and plan production operations efficiently. Further, he decided to have an in-depth understanding of the industry and pursued a master's degree in production management for media.
“I wanted to be a part of the scheme because of my previous involvement in documentaries and my passion for unscripted TV. I was actively looking for opportunities to set my foot in the unscripted industry and finally, I got intrigued when I found out about the scheme. The structured training, mentorship, and three-month placement offer me to kickstart my journey in unscripted TV, providing essential skills and invaluable industry experience.”
Vivek will be undertaking his placement in Manchester.
Hannah Bates is a seasoned Event and Production professional, with 14 years of expertise in various production roles. A highly skilled organizer with a keen eye for detail and proven management abilities, she has excelled in various roles in Event and Production management and has contributed to renowned festivals globally. Hannah's friendly nature, adaptability, and experience in handling logistics on large-scale events make her an asset to any production team.
“Embarking on the production assistant course for unscripted TV aligns with my goals of transitioning from event production into TV. It provides all the training I need to make the transition into a new and exciting career. There's nothing else like this course out there.. to be taught the necessary basics, what is expected from you, get support from a mentor and then also get a 3 month work placement to gain invaluable, professional, hands on experience is absolutely priceless. This is an opportunity I could not miss.”
Hannah will be undertaking his placement in Cardiff or Brighton.
Connor O’Brien entered the entertainment industry in 2019 after short stints in recruitment and hospitality. He started in administrative roles at ITV and Channel 4 before moving into production roles where he has since worked as a Runner on several large-scale productions including The Apprentice and Gladiators.
“I’m really looking forward to taking part in the scheme so that I can learn the fundamentals of production management in unscripted TV and use them to form the foundations of a successful career. The opportunities offered by this scheme including the training sessions, mentorship, and placement at an independent production company will equip me with the skills and experience needed to excel in the field.”
Connor will be undertaking his placement in Leeds.
Alexander Atherton’s previous background is within administrative positions, most recently in the Civil Service where he worked as a Court Clerk for three years. However, he left this position last year to pursue a career which aligned more with his interests. Since then he has spent time working as a videographer and photographer working for nightclub events, musicians and performance artists such as Douglas Dare, Elkka and Black Pepper. More recently he has gained his first experiences working on a TV set after securing positions as a Location Marshall for High-End TV Dramas for Apple TV and Sky. Alongside his professional endeavours, Alexander additionally co-founded an event called “Loose Change”, a cause-centred queer club night which has since been featured in prominent publications such as Attitude Magazine and Gay Times and has raised over £13,000 for various LGQBT+ charities.
“I have really enjoyed my recent experience working on set on high-end TV dramas, however it is Unscripted TV that I am really drawn to. I hope now to bring all my varied skills and experience across administration and facilitation into the Unscripted TV industry. I am excited to improve my skills and experience within this programme and learn in-depth all goes into creating unscripted TV!"
Alexander will be undertaking his placement in London.
Renee Zhang is originally from China and has lived in the UK for the past 13 years. She has a master’s degree in Film and TV production where she had the opportunity to undertake a 3 month work placement working as a runner on shows such as The Gadget Show. Upon graduating, she worked in other industries as an international sales consultant and an office administrator.
Renee has always had a passion for the TV industry. After graduating from her degree she chose a different career path and she feels like she never truly gave herself a chance to work in TV. She believes that this programme would be the perfect opportunity to finally kickstart her career in the industry. During the programme, Renee is most looking forward to gaining further industry experience and learning new skills of production management.”
Renee will be undertaking her placement in Manchester/Liverpool.
Thomas Chester - Having graduated with a 1st class Filmmaking BA from the University of Sussex in 2021, Tom is looking to start building a career in production management. Having worked the last few years in hospitality, managing a number of pubs and bars, and building up lots of transferable skills, he began gaining experience in various runner roles in advertising but is now looking to culminate those skills into the unscripted TV world.
"As I gained more and more experience in and out of the industry, I decided that working in production management is the perfect path for me and working in unscripted TV is always something that's appealed to me. This programme is such a fantastic way of learning exactly what being a production assistant entails, building experience and contacts in the industry, and meeting lots of other like minded and passionate people. I'm looking forward to starting to build my knowledge and experience in the role and meeting everyone else who's on the programme."
Thomas will be undertaking his placement in London.
Abbie Philpott - Abbie has previously specialised in Theatre Stage Management. She has also worked across the wider entertainment industry in roles such as Site Manager, Main Stage Stage Manager and Artist Liaison within Live Events and has experience in Short Scripted Films as 3rd Assistant Director. Abbie is looking to redirect her career and is excited to transfer her skills to specialise within Unscripted TV Production. Abbie is passionate about utilising her adaptability, keen eye for detail, organisation and management skills to make this transition successfully.
Transitioning into Unscripted TV Production will complement Abbie’s prior experience. She has joined this scheme to gain knowledge about the best practices whilst working in a Production Team to be a strong Production Assistant entering the industry, with a tailored skills set to apply to her work.
Abbie will be undertaking her placement in Birmingham.
Rhian Chivers - “As a recent media production graduate I’m excited to be apart of this course to gain advanced knowledge and build connections. I’ve had a longstanding love of unscripted television and can’t wait to get an opportunity to break into the industry. “
Rhian will be undertaking her placement in Cardiff.
Dominic Cahill - Having graduated with a history degree from the University of Bristol last summer, Dom is aiming to make his first steps towards a career in Production Management. With experience ranging from working in wine shops to a placement at a litigation firm, Dom couldn’t help but feel that the passions he’d developed were being left idle and unkindled. Luckily this changed when he embarked on an internship with at a Documentary Production company, an experience that opened his eyes to the world of production management and the excitement a career within it offered.
“This program offers an incredible opportunity to learn about production management and how to prepare for a career within it. Meeting the course tutors and coordinators assured me that the cohort would be well-supported, with Hannah and Inge displaying a clear passion for helping individuals embark on their journeys in this field. I'm eager to meet the rest of the cohort and others on the placement, as I look forward to being surrounded by individuals who share my passions, ambitions, and, most importantly, excitement for the future.”
Dominic will be undertaking his placement in Bristol.
Cohort 2
Sudhanshu Ganvir is an enthusiastic and dedicated Production Assistant with a strong ability to think on his feet and manage multiple tasks effectively. He brings a wealth of experience in both unscripted and scripted production, including his recent work with ITV on the King's Coronation. With a background in media production and prior roles in hospitality and celebrity management, he’s honed his logistical skills, making him a valuable asset in organizing large-scale events. Additionally, his proficiency in Premiere and DaVinci enhances my comprehensive understanding of the production process.
“This program provides me with all the necessary industry standard training essential for working in production. It also connects me with a befitting mentor, who will be guiding for the next six months. Most importantly it will get me into a 3 month placement, where I will be able to network, learn, hone and practice my learning in the professional environment. This opportunity would be a booster to launch myself in the industry.”
Sudhanshu will be undertaking his placement in London.
Jonah Gosbell - Throughout his time at university, alongside his filmmaking degree, he worked as a runner on some small independent short films, as well as an independent feature film. These gave him a taste of the screen industries; however, his degree was where he learnt and experimented with various roles. Through this he discovered that managing productions was his favourite aspect of it.
“I wanted to join this programme because I thought it would be a great start to my career within production management, allowing me to build upon my experience and skillset, and set me up for greater projects in the future.”
Jonah will be undertaking his placement in either Birmingham or Manchester.
Lily Bower-Kail has previously worked in administration, as office manager for the Elton John AIDs Foundation, and previously as a communications intern at Kodak. She’s also worked as a freelance production assistant for over a year, creating social and cultural content for Tailored Media, and produced a number of short films, one of which was a finalist in the Straight 8 film competition.
“I wanted to take part in the scheme, as I'd like to get to know the mechanics behind unscripted TV, from a production management perspective. I’m excited to have really in-depth training and meet like-minded people who’ve transferred from other industries, as well as gain the support of a mentor and have the opportunity to work as a production assistant at an independent production company.”
Lily will be undertaking her placement in London.
Christina Vassell studied English with Media Studies at the University of Derby, where, in theory, she first encountered the world of factual television and journalism–and everything in-between!
Since then, she has appeared as a Guest Contributor at BBC Radio Derby, edited an archive documentary for the Young Historian’s Project, and undertook a once-in-a-lifetime gap year working in Berlin and Taiwan. However, it was a chance encounter at the BBC Proms that opened up the world of broadcast and (events) productions, which subsequently led to the opportunity to join the Young Producer’s Scheme at Royal Albert Hall, in which she, alongside a team of diverse creatives, produced a sold-out show, live in the Hall’s Elgar Room.
Upon entering the creative industry last year, she has since gained experience working on live events, factual entertainment and unscripted productions for Sky Arts, Amazon Music, ITV and BBC. Before completing a part-time Diploma in Factual Development and Production at National Film and Television School. With both editorial and production roles under her belt, she is looking to return to her first love: the sub-genre and -sector of documentary productions.
A self-diagnosed serial planner, Christina is excited to be a part of this cohort of the Production Assistant Training Programme and is keen to apply her meticulous eye for detail and knack for creative problem solving, to successfully segue into the logistical runnings of a production office.
Christina will be undertaking her placement in Birmingham.
Alexandra Morrisey - After graduating from a BSc in Film Production Technology, Alexandra has worked across a range of different industries, gaining experience in technical production, theatre, archive, sales and administration, as well as taking part in community and conservation projects both in the UK and overseas.
“I am really looking forward to starting this exciting programme and having the opportunity to develop my knowledge, skills and experience in something that I’m very passionate about. I joined this programme with the ambition of starting a career in unscripted television and working towards my dream role in production management. I am especially looking forward to the variety of areas covered during the training part of the programme, the opportunity to meet new people and gain valuable industry experience and insight during my placement.”
Alexandra will be undertaking her placement in Bristol.
Steve Bushell joins the Production Assistant training programme following a 20 year career in finance across a number of roles spanning trading, project work and latterly risk management.
He is looking forward to embarking on the scheme and subsequent placement to immerse himself in TV, learn about the intricacies of what makes a production tick and make use of his experience to begin a new career path.
Steve will be undertaking his placement in London.
Sam Yates started his career working in the banking industry, in which he worked with other banks and helping customers with technical payment queries, as well as helping to improve internal systems. In 2021 he then left his banking role to be a logger in TV, and after this he has worked as a finance assistant at two different production companies, with a long term goal of moving into production management.
Sam is looking forward to learning the skills of production management and getting hands on experience working within the role, to help make the career transition away from working exclusively in finance, to working as a bigger part of a production.
Sam will be undertaking his placement in London.
Rianne Murrain graduated from her BBC Audio Broadcast Production Apprenticeship in July 2023 working on live daytime radio shows across Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra as a broadcasting production assistant. She also did a 6 month stint with BBC Sounds working on entertainment and factual podcasts, notably; Scarlett Moffat Wants to Believe, Not Even Water and Brown Girls Do It Too.
During the PAUTV programme Rianne is most looking forward to learning new skills and the mentorship on offer to gain invaluable production knowledge moving across into the TV industry.
Rianne will be undertaking her placement in Birmingham with North One.
Keshia McCormick - Since graduating with a 1st in Film & TV Production at Sheffield Hallam University in 2022, she has worked as a Runner, Production Assistant and 2nd AD on a number of indie films, a commercial, and on Britain’s Got Talent. Alongside this, she has worked in retail and hospitality, where she gained many transferable skills to help me succeed in the production office.
“Whilst working on Britain’s Got Talent, I realised that Unscripted TV was where I would love to focus my career, thus prompting me to apply for this training scheme. From learning skills from industry professionals, to gaining invaluable advice from my mentor, and experiencing my desired entry position as a Production Assistant, I endeavour to make the most of this opportunity and can’t wait to see where it takes me. I have a huge passion for Unscripted TV, and look forward to developing my skills as much as I can on my placement, to help achieve my eventual goal of becoming a Line Producer.”
Keshia will be undertaking her placement in Manchester.
Andrew Fletcher has managed digital advertising campaigns since 2020, running ad activity for some of the world's largest brands. Having spent most of his childhood weekends in theatre school, setting up productions that entertain has been a passion for as long as he can remember. Looking for a fresh start in his career, Andrew hopes to bring together his work experience and his passion for making storytelling happen to make a real impact in the world of unscripted production.
He looks forward to being part of productions he can be proud to say he worked on, and more importantly to connecting with likeminded people in the industry.
Andrew will be undertaking his placement in London.
Claire McGarrigle - Originally from Northern Ireland now based in Glasgow, Claire is a passionate and creative problem solver with 20 years of experience as an Optometrist in the health care sector. Claire has vast experience building and maintaining strong and collaborative relationships, communicating effectively, multi-tasking and working well under pressure! After a recent career break Claire has had time to reflect and re-evaluate what really really drives her and what she is most passionate about.
TV has always been a constant source of inspiration and escapism in her life and she now wishes to utilise all her transferrable skills to craft a new path in a more creative Industry and felt this programme offered the perfect opportunity to do so. Claire is looking forward to learning more about TV production, meeting new people and ultimately being part of a team that helps to make great TV shows!
Claire will be undertaking her placement in Glasgow.
Jemma Ivermee - Ever since secondary school, where Jemma was introduced to the world of media, her passion for this industry has grown and aheared to her love of film and television. She has been a waitress for the last few years, which has enabled her to open up to new stories and different backgrounds, opening her eyes to new projects, which has been reflected on her University course in Film, TV and Digital Production. This is where she was able to flourish and develop her skills, working on projects such as writing a handbook on ‘All Things Production Management’.
When she found this course she knew she had to jump at this amazing opportunity as it is something she is keen to pursue. Jemma is enthusiastic to develop her knowledge further, working within an industry environment and learning and growing from the challenges ahead.
Jemma will be undertaking her placement in Bath with One Tribe TV.
Mandy Welsh - first started in film production after she attended an HNC Communication and Media course in 2002 and this led to working with a film company as part of her work placement. From here Mandy progressed from Floor Runner to Production Secretary working on both Film and TV Productions.
After several years working on various scripted productions, Mandy took a career break to look after her son and in 2022 she began working for Ricochet Ltd as an Office Admin Assistant. This included setting up the new office, arranging equipment, producing all relevant HR contracts and paperwork to new starters. After a few months at Ricochet, Mandy was asked to be the Personal Assistant to head of Ricochet Scotland.
Mandy decided she wanted to work in production again and decided to apply for the Screenskills/Media Career Advice Production Assistant Training Programme for Unscripted TV. With her transferable skills from working in offices including the production office, she felt with this course she could expand her knowledge, update her skills and hopefully progress to Production Manager one day.
Mandy will be undertaking her placement in Glasgow.
Metello Giordani - After graduating in Film Production from the Arts University Bournemouth in 2016, Metello relocated to London to pursue a career in production. Since then, he contributed to a wide range of projects, working as a Production Assistant on high-end scripted TV and often travelling to Milan to work on commercial content and music videos as a Production Manager. Amongst his professional achievements, Metello coordinated the marketing campaign of the film Dune at the Venice Film Festival premiere, and more recently had the honour of assisting director Alfonso Cuarón on his first Apple TV+ series as well as collaborating with other Academy Award winners and nominees.
Metello is proud to be joining the Production Assistant Training for Unscripted TV and believes the programme will give him the opportunity to work on projects that deal with real-life stories and strive to have a positive cultural impact. In particular, Metello is excited about the prospect of learning how to set-up documentary shoots and believes that working on unscripted content will teach him new ways to resolve complex logistics. He is positive that the programme will equip him with the necessary tools for a future in production management and that it will empower him to contribute meaningfully to the industry.
Metello will be undertaking his placement in London.
Fay Bradley previously worked in HR and as a Personal Assistant in a number of creative and media companies including TV, design, fashion and sports. Her most recent role was at BSLBT assisting the Head of Commissioning in the commissioning process for programmes made in BSL.
Having some knowledge of unscripted TV production from an in-house HR perspective, Fay is now looking to take the next step by developing a career in production, so this programme is a great opportunity. She is most looking forward to learning the process from start to finish, location shoots in hostile environments and having the huge benefit of an industry mentor.
Fay will be undertaking her placement in London.
Lauren Hira has been a Freelance Corporate & Events Photographer for over 15 years combining various other Freelance Marketing & Event Management roles for a Social Enterprise & bringing up her son. She fell into TV industry by chance after scoring an Art Dept Photographer role on Netflix ‘Stay Close’, got the TV bug and has been trying to access the industry ever since. Lauren has had so many varied experiences, from teaching horse riding in USA to being a drummer in a band and is now seeking to bring transferable skills to TV industry.
“I wanted to join this programme as I’m finding the industry challenging to access at a mature age. Despite knowing I have the skills capable of Production Assistant role, it’s hard to build networks or locate where roles are advertised. Programmes such as this provide otherwise inaccessible guidance, knowledge and opportunities to gain new skills and provide insight into the industry. I am looking forward to meeting the Media Career Advice team and my fellow trainees.”
Lauren will be undertaking her placement in Manchester.
Kelly Taylor comes from a diverse work background starting out as an entertainer and holiday rep many years ago, before settling in London to start a very successful career within the events industry. At the height of her career she worked at the Criterion restaurant Piccadilly Circus as head of events and weddings. Being lucky enough to organise fashion shows for London fashion week, award ceremonies, royal events and even filming of Downton Abbey and Mission impossible 5 with Tom Cruise. Sadly covid killed the event industry as it once was. Since covid she has been looking for a new career to sink her teeth into, something that stimulates and excites her that I can pivot into whilst using all my hard earned skills I have learned through my years of event work.
“Before starting full time employment I studied Media studies and always dreamed of working in TV. I never thought this opportunity would be possible till I came across the ScreenSkills and Media Career Advice’s Production Assistant programme. I wanted to join this course to potentially spring board into my dream career. This course will guide me through with support, advice and encouragement from experts in the field. I am most looking forward to getting stuck into the nitty gritty of my placement. Looking forward to solving that first troublesome problem, overcoming it, learning from it and feeling of accomplishment when you have successfully fanned out a few fires.”
Kelly will be undertaking her placement in Brighton.
